Address of UOC Holy Synod to be read out in all churches and monasteries

UOC believers at the service

On December 23, 2018, during the Sunday Liturgy in all churches of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, the text of the Address of the Holy Synod of the UOC on the latest events in the religious life of Ukraine will be read out to believers, reports the UOC Information and Education Department.

His Beatitude Metropolitan Onufry of Kiev and All Ukraine blessed to make the Holy Synod’s Address to archpriests, priests, monastics and believers (Journal No. 73), adopted on December 17 during an emergency meeting at the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra, publicly available for the clergy and laity of the UOC.

At the meeting, it was decided to ask the Primate of the UOC to inform the Primates of other Local Orthodox Churches about the results of the “Unification Council” in Ukraine and other events in the religious life of the country.

The Information and Education Department also reported that, as of the end of 2018, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church has 12,092 religious communities and 12,409 clergymen, as well as 258 monasteries with 4,501 monks.

We recall that on December 17, 2018, the head of the Orthodox Church in Ukraine (OCU) "Metropolitan of Kiev" Epiphany Dumenko stated that the new religious organization created at the "Unification Council" on December 15, 2018, only has about 7,000 parishes.

Read also

SBU detains antisemite calling to tear down banners for Jewish holidays

In Zakarpattia, authorities exposed an online agitator who used social media to incite religious hatred.

OCU: Those ordained by Filaret after the Tomos are not bishops

The OCU maintains that hierarchs of the UOC-KP, unlike those aligned with Dumenko, are non-canonical schismatics.

UK lawmakers demand security guarantees for Christians in Nigeria

British MPs have called for the protection of Christians in Nigeria to be made a condition of bilateral relations amid rising violence and attacks on believers.

Archbishop of Cyprus again says the island is under Turkish occupation

Archbishop Georgios said the Cyprus issue must be further viewed as a matter of Turkish occupation and called for efforts to secure the island’s liberation.

Greek authorities prepare special aircraft for Holy Fire transportation

Greek authorities have prepared the prime minister’s aircraft to bring the Holy Fire from Jerusalem.

German animal rights activists urge Easter ban on eggs and meat

PETA has called on churches to bless only vegan foods, arguing that the traditional blessing of eggs and meat amounts to endorsing “animal suffering.”